U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,057,159, 4,059,198 and 4,485,932 disclose child-resistant prescription packages that include a container, a closure, and a spring/seal disk disposed between the closure and the container. The closure has a skirt with internal lugs that cooperate with locking notches on external projections around the mouth of the container for securing the closure to the container. An internal abutment on the closure cooperates with the spring/seal disk to urge the closure away from the container so that the lugs are resiliently captured within the notches. When it is desired to remove the closure, the closure and container are pushed relative toward one another so that the lugs clear the notches and the closure may be rotated off of the container. When the closure is assembled to the container, the lugs cam beneath convex surfaces on the container projections against the force of the spring element until the lugs snap into the notches on the projections.
Although the packages disclosed in the above-noted patents have enjoyed substantial commercial acceptance and success, further innovations are desirable. For example, a general object of the present disclosure is to provide a child-resistant package for storing and dispensing products, such as pelletized medication tablets or pills, that may be filled by a pharmacist and that can aid a user in complying with a dosing regimen associated with the products.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A child-resistant dispensing package in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a container having an open end and an inner cover non-removably secured to the container. The inner cover has a deck with a dispensing opening, a peripheral skirt secured the container in a non-removable manner, a lid hinged to the deck for pivotal movement between a closed position closing the dispensing opening and an open position spaced from the dispensing opening, and an external shoulder with an annular array of under-notches. The package also includes an outer cover with a base wall and a peripheral skirt with internal lugs for receipt over the shoulder within the under-notches of the inner cover, and at least one internal spring for engaging the inner cover and biasing the outer cover away from the inner cover and releasably registering the internal lugs of the outer cover within the under-notches on the inner cover. The outer cover also includes a central opening surrounding the lid and defined by lobes and scallops, and cam surfaces on the lobes. Downward pressure on the outer cover against the at least one internal spring releases the outer cover for rotation with respect to the inner cover and one or more of the cam surfaces engages the lid and cams the lid from the closed position toward the open position so that the lid can be manually further moved to the open position and medication can be dispensed through the dispensing opening.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a child-resistant dispensing closure securable to a container that includes an inner cover securable to the container. The inner cover includes a base having a deck with a dispensing opening, a lid coupled to the base for movement between a closed position closing the dispensing opening and an open position spaced from the dispensing opening, a skirt depending from the deck, a shoulder with an annular array of under-notches. The closure also includes an outer cover rotatably coupled to the inner cover and including a peripheral skirt with internal lugs for receipt over the shoulder of the inner cover and within the under-notches of the shoulder. The outer cover also includes a base wall from which the peripheral skirt depends and which includes a central opening at least partially surrounding the lid and at least partially defined by lobes having cam surfaces to cooperate with the lid.
In accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an outer cover of a child-resistant dispensing closure securable and rotatable with respect to an inner cover of the closure having a flip-top lid. The outer cover includes a peripheral skirt with internal lugs for receipt over the inner cover and within under-notches of the inner cover. The outer cover also includes a base wall from which the peripheral skirt depends and including a central opening.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a cover of a child-resistant dispensing closure securable to a container having locking projections disposed about an open end thereof. The cover includes lugs and stops cooperable with the locking projections of the container to render the cover non-removable from the container.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a push-and-turn cover for a container, including a base wall, a peripheral skirt depending from the base wall, and a flange extending from and larger in outer diameter than the peripheral skirt to aid users in pushing and turning the cover with their fingers.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a child-resistant dispensing package which includes a container having an open end, and a closure non-removably secured to the container. The closure includes a dispensing cover non-removably secured to the open end of the container, and an outer cover non-removably secured to the inner cover and cooperable with the dispensing cover to render the closure child-resistant.